Improvement in projectiles



Patented r 11 31,1877.

B. B; HOTCHKISS.

PR'OJEC'I'IL'ES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFrIon.

BENJAMIN B. HOTOHKISS, OF NEW-YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTILESL Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 193.657, dated July 31, 1877; application filed.

' January 11,1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, BENJAMIN B. Horon- KIss,of New York city, in the State of New York, temporarily residing inParis, France, have invented certain Improvements in Projectiles forRifled Ordnance, of which the following is a specification:

' The invention relates to the construction and mounting of packing.

It is especially important for muzzle-loadin g guns; but it may be usedwith some benefit in breech-loaders.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a rear view. Fig.3 is a central longitudinal section on the line a; a; in Fig. 2, andFig. 3* represents the rear end of the projectile before the packing isadded.

Similar. letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

Any device which will relieve the strain on the gun is of very greatimportance. I have given the question much attention, and have arrivedat the construction here represented as the result of years ofexperiment.

A is the body of the projectile, formed with an annular recess, A. (SeeFig. 3 It is threaded to receive my peculiar sectional expansive ring;

This entire ring may be of soft brass, or other suitable material, andwill be denoted, when necessary, by the single letter B, the severalparts being represented by further marks or letters.

The interior of the packing is threaded, and screws tightly upon thepart A of the body, as represented. It is formed with cells or deepcavities e, sunk in the rear face between the exterior rim B and theinterior rim B The force of the discharge entering these cells drivesportions of thejouter wall, which may betermed a lip, B forciblyoutward, and compels it to conform to the'interior, of the gun. Thesolid spaces 1) between the cells remain unaffected.

Deep longitudinal grooves or scores at are produced by machinery orotherwise, in the positions represented. They nearly cut off the lip Bfrom the firm portions 12, so that when the force of the discharge isreceived it determines the line of fracture. The rear edge and mainportion of each expansive lip B is expanded against the inner wall ofthe gun,

and caused to conform to the rifling thereof, while the front edgeremains strongly secured to the other portions of the packing, so thatit cannot be detached.

The solid portions b give stability to the construction, and, by reasonof their non-expansive quality, insure spaces for windage.

I prefer to form the packing with the exterior surface of the solidportion b a little sunk,

or of less diameter than the outer surface of the lips 13. If they arenot so made, they assume that relation on the expansion of the lips.

. The outer surface of the lips B is grooved circumferentially, asindicated by I). These fine grooves bon the surface of the expansiveparts or sections, which I have termed lips B insure the more easyexpansion of the metal against the inner surface of the gun, and a moreperfect matching to the rifling thereof. They serve to give ,acushioning effectwhen the expansion takes place, and I am convinced theygreatly relieve the gun from strain.

I do not consider the longitudinal grooves m absolutely essential; buttheir'presence increases the perfection of the effect.

Fig.4 is a longitudinal section, and Fig.5 a rear view, of a differentpacking, which I esteem desirable for some situations. In this. apacking-ring of soft brass or other suitable material is similarlyscrewed upon the main body, and is adapted to expand by beingforced'forward by the discharge. The inner portion remains immovablewhere it is threaded upon the body; but the out-er portion and mainsurface moves forward bodily, and is expanded thereby, as will bereadily understood. I

Grooves b, corresponding to such grooves. on the packing beforedescribed, are formed around the exterior of this packing in Figs. 4 r

and 5, and sunk longitudinal spaces I) tend to induce a less perfectexpansion at those points, and thus allow for windage.

all the useful functions of igniting the fuse and relieving the strain.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with a body, A, having anannular recess, A, the sectional expansive packing described, havingcells 6, separatedi by firm parts b, and adapted to allow the forcingoutward of the expansive sections or lips B and to provid spaces forwifli lq e 7 over the parts b, as specified.

2. In a projectile having cells, as described, n th pa k ng ,B, he lo gtu n l score m, partially separating the solid parts b from theexpansive parts B in combination with the body A A, and adapted to serveas herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day ofOctober, 1874, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. B. HO'IGHKISS.

Witnesses EX, E. ,VOLKMANN.

